Cruise lines with ships operating Asia itineraries have been scrambling this week to reroute their ships because of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
All cruise ships are skipping ports in China, while some are also avoiding Singapore and Japan.
Celebrity Cruises canceled the Celebrity Millennium’s remaining 2020 Asia cruises, which were to depart Feb. 15 and 29, March 14 and 28, April 10 and 21 and May 10. Celebrity said the ship will reposition to the West Coast of the U.S., where it is scheduled to sail later this year.
Celebrity also made changes to the Celebrity Constellation’s itinerary on its upcoming March 2 and 17 sailings, replacing its embarkation and disembarkation in Singapore with Dubai.
Carnival Australia said its South Pacific cruises on the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Spirit that were scheduled to call at the islands of Lifou, Mare or Isle of Pines in New Caledonia are instead visiting ports in Vanuatu, because New Caledonia has temporarily declined cruise ship visits.
Norwegian Cruise Line canceled all of the Norwegian Spirit’s Asia itineraries from April 15 through December. It has not said yet where the ship will be redeployed.
Cunard changed the itinerary for the both the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mary 2 will skip its call in Singapore next week and will instead divert to Western Australia, docking in the city of Fremantle on Feb. 18. The ship will then sail to Darwin and Yorkeys Knob, Australia, before resuming its originally scheduled itinerary from Airlie Beach. The Queen Elizabeth is no longer calling at Hong Kong on March 31 or Shanghai on April 4. Cunard said details of the ship’s revised itineraries are forthcoming.
Seabourn said the Seabourn Ovation will change its Feb. 29 disembarkation and departure from Hong Kong to Singapore. The ship will skip all calls in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau through March 14. The Seabourn Sojourn will no longer call at Hong Kong on April 3 and itinerary revisions are being worked out.
The Feb. 15 departure of Silversea’s Silver Spirit was changed from Hong Kong to Manila. The rest of the itinerary remains the same.
Princes Cruises canceled all Diamond Princess departures through March 12.
Royal Caribbean canceled two sailings on the Quantum of the Seas that were due to depart Singapore this month, one on Feb. 15 and the other leaving Feb. 24.
Regent Seven seas said it will replace the Seven Seas Voyager’s scheduled stop in Hong Kong on Feb. 28 with another port, yet to be determined.
Costa Cruises’ three ships that were offering cruises from China — the Costa Atlantica, Costa Venezia and Costa Serena — have suspended operations through March.
